Resealing The Idiocy
by The Mystic Frost
Summary: Sure, The 4th and the Shinigami sure do make a great sealing team, but they're far from perfect when pressed for time. This time, the Shinigami visits Naruto late one night to fix the errors made during his birth. With a fixed seal, the ceiling is raised. How high will our hero fly? Redo of story with a slightly smarter naruto with lasting gst for angst and light shipping
1. Chapter 1: Episode 0

**Resealing any Idiocy**

**Chapter 1: The First Chapter**

It had been a long night for our favorite blonde. Naruto Uzumaki had just been made a genin, although the circumstances were a bit unorthodox. While Technically what Iruka had done wasn't against any rules, it did go against the system in just about every way imaginable. Fortunately for the two of them, the acting Hokage was elated at the news.

However, this didn't happen without consequences. Naruto finally found out the secret the old Sarutobi so desperately tried to hide. That bottomless pit of a stomach actually had an end to it, and inside it held the greatest of all the biju, the nine tailed fox. It left Naruto with a lot to think about…

Or at least try to think about. Naruto was never good at thinking things through, that much was obvious. His learning was much more tactile, done through practice to the point of instincts rather than careful planning and intellectual connections.

Long story short, this thick headed blonde spent much of the night tossing and turning. Sleep, as elusive and mythical a creature it was, finally started to show in the later end of the night.

...

"More ramen? Please, I always have room for ramen." Naruto cooed, leaning back in his seat. The hot tub bubbled with a delicious golden broth. Alongside floated noodles, fishcakes, various cuts of meat, and many things Naruto remembered being called _vegetables_. This was paradise. This was…

Cold. Very cold. He woke with a start, finding himself lurching forward gasping for breath in his dark room. Only, he couldn't catch his breath. He couldn't breathe. Try as he might, Naruto was beginning to panic.

A dark mist emanated from seemingly nowhere, centered just past the foot of his bed. It fell on the floor and spilled outward, coating everything it touched in frost. A soft light glowed from the mist, and from it floated a pale blue ghost with white robes and hair to match. Its eyes shone a bright yellow on black despite the lack of light, and inside its maw rested a short ceremonial dagger.

The Shinigami itself had entered Naruto's room. If Naruto could move, he would have. He tried to move as far away from the God of Death as possible, but not a single muscle twitched.

"Naruto." Its voice spoke deep and clear despite any movement. "I have come to repay a debt."

Having finally found himself again, Naruto crawled back against the wall. "U-u-uh, What are you doing here?"

"Your father called upon me in exchange for his soul. Inside you rests the nine tailed beast, the Kyuubi. This, you have only just found out." Naruto dropped his jaw somewhere on the floor again.

The Shinigami loosely held up its arms with open palms. "In exchange, a seal was placed on you. One which ties you with immeasurable power, an impossible burden." In one palm, rested a blue energy. It swirled with perfect clarity. This Naruto could instinctually tell was his. In the other rested a far more sinister power, this one red, churning like the rough waves of the sea.

The God of Death held its arms forward, letting go of the blue and red chakra. "The Kyuubi's power was sealed inside you, locked away never to be seen from again." This time, the red energy condensed and placed itself within Naruto's chakra. But instead of putting oil on water, the chakra turned murky. It's normal bright blue light was stained from within, bleeding out demonic chakra and causing turbulence.

"One of the many facets in this seal is a filter and buffer, meant to siphon and cleanse the energy before integration into the host, as well as maintain a regulated flow."

Naruto, having finally gotten over the immediate shock of having a god in his bedroom, scrunched his face in confusion.

"It stains your essence, tainting you energy and poisoning your chakra system. Your coils grow to accommodate, but not without strain, as does the rest of the network. This poison was never meant to be, and-"

Naruto threw up his arms in a stopping motion. "Wait wait wait, hold up. You're saying I'm… poisoned? Like, am I going to die? Is this what that is?"

"No, but it's stunted your growth and tarnished your mind, rendering-"

"Oh thank the log I'm not dead, I still need to punch the bastard a few more times. So then, its… tainted… my body. Am I not going to be tall then?"

"It's more of a burn to the body and soul, less of a growth inhibitor." droned the Shinigami, folding its arms.

"But wait, its poison, but I won't die? Sounds like a shitty poison to me." Naruto came to the conclusion and mimicked the gesture as well.

"Demonic chakra has many side effects and-"

"But I thought you said I was poisoned?" Naruto interjected once more.

"Enough!" the Shinigami practically shouted. The air around Naruto instantly dropped in temperature, momentarily silencing him. "Elder Beings, it's like talking to Shukaku all over again."

The Shinigami put its hands together in a basic seal. "I am repaying a debt I owe to your father. Your seal was butchered more than my most favorite playthings, it's time I fix that." A spike of chakra was all it took, and Naruto was sent to the floor, clutching his stomach in pain.

The seal was visible once again, and burned in fresh ink. This time the circle encasing the spiral was complete, and all eight points bled inward towards the spiral slightly. Finally, to small marks were made on either side of the seal. Over all, not much was visibly changed, and the ink soon receded back inside Naruto's gut.

"Many things will change for you, Naruto, but not all at once. Some will be more apparent, while others will take time to develop. Consider this a debt repaid."

It was as if a storm that was never visible finally passed. Naruto's straining thoughts became clearer, much clearer, a sudden clarity unlike ever before. The pain was gone, and was replaced with newfound peace.

Naruto sat up to see the mist once again pouring out from behind the Shinigami. His image began to fade, until the god was gone entirely.

"Do take care of your mindspace, I so relish the thought of a new plaything when your flames are eventually snuffed."

Naruto sat still for several moments before slapping himself to make sure he was awake. He crawled back into bed and lay there, wide eyed and staring at the ceiling. Man, he sure isn't getting any sleep tonight…

...

An errant beam of sunlight cast itself over Naruto's face as he turned over. He was once again woken up earlier than he would have liked.

Great, 9:12 in the morning. Who could possibly want to be awake at this hour? Only people with things to do had to be up, why should the rest of the world follow? Besides, it's not like he had anything to do now that classes ended…

The door to Naruto's apartment practically flew off its hinges as an orange clad blur burst through. He scarfed down the cup of instant ramen and tossed it aside, prefering to dedicate as much energy towards running as possible. The looks, the glares, none of it mattered today.

He was a ninja.

But before that, he has to pass a test. His sensei Kakashi had set up a test for them. Nobody knew what it was, but Naruto felt like something was off…

He landed in the training grounds shortly thereafter. Only looking for a moment, he collapsed onto the ground after making sure their sensei wasn't there. Naruto breathed out a sigh of relief, letting himself relax. The shade was an added bonus.

Shade?

Opening both eyes just a smidge, he was met with the distasteful anger of Sakura.

"And what possible reason could YOU have for being late?" she stressed, sounding equally upset and unsurprised.

"Well, I was trying to sleep and, but then the- I- Uh… missed my alarm?"

"You're lucky sensei isn't here yet! Ugh, it's like you don't even care."

That bit, as Naruto cared deeply about being a ninja. He chose not to let it show. "Sorry Sakura-chan, I just didn't sleep well and-"

He was cut off by the sound of Sasuke's stomach growling. Sakura's attention was instantly diverted in an attempt to placate the aforementioned teammate and possibly score a lunch date.

Well shit. That's what Naruto forgot. He wasn't supposed to eat. Kakashi had said not to, saying it would ruin their performance and cause problems. Dammit, why couldn't things be simple?

"Hey guys." came the vaguely familiar voice of one Kakashi Hatake. The trio spied him coming out from between some bushes.

Sakura placed both hands on her hips. "And where have you been? It's bad enough having one lazy person on this team."

Kakashi threw up his arms, feigning innocence. "Hey, hey, I just got caught on the road of life." Sasuke raised an unconvinced eyebrow. "Its uh, a very long road. No map."

Kakashi stepped forward, clapping his hands together to garner attention. "Well, I hope you haven't eaten, otherwise you'll be spilling it back out during today's test."

"What is the test?" Naruto interjected, standing back up.

"Ah ah ah, my impatient student. I was just getting there." Their sensei dug in his pouch and fished out two silver bells. "Your objective is to grab these. Those who cannot get a bell by the end of the day get sent back to the academy."

Sakura's brow furrowed. "But sensei, there's only two bells? What happens then?"

"I am glad to see the academy is teaching how to count. Well Sakura, if you must know, it means at best, only two of you will pass and fully become ninja."

Everyone tensed upon hearing that. Sasuke steeled his resolve to get the bells. Sakura worried how she'd be able to get one. Naruto… began to question the legitimacy of the test.

"You have until lunch. Those of you that don't have a bell are welcome to stay, but it will only get harder." Kakashi glanced around, taking note of everyone's emotions.

A light breeze passed through, dusting along a few leaves. The three fresh genin stood tense and at attention.

"Begin."

And with that, two of the four figures disappeared. Sasuke and Sakura fled, but both Naruto and Kakashi remained.

"You know Naruto, I would have assumed you would have left to form a plan as well." Kakashi mused, pulling out an orange book.

Naruto threw his hands behind his head and leaned back. "Nah, that's not really my style. I'm much more of a- hey, hey wait!" He threw a finger up accusingly. "That's a porn book!"

Kakashi chuckled, paying no mind to his pupil. "Oh you dirty girl."

Well, that does it. Having finally lost his infinite patience, Naruto flung himself forward and what was supposed to be an intense taijutsu match, although one thing quickly became apparent.

This was only intense for one person. Kakashi did nothing but dodge, and only with the most minimal of efforts. A half step back, a small jump, a lean to the side, it was like he didn't have to try.

Naruto was starting to get frustrated. He realised very quickly that he left openings for counters, but Kakashi never capitalised on that. He wasn't taking the fight seriously.

"Mmm, what a flexible girl."

One way or another, that book was going down.

Naruto leapt backwards, disengaging from his sensei. "Kage bunshin!" Kakashi raised an eyebrow, taking the situation in stride. Surrounded on all sides, by more than a hundred to one.

As if finally taking notice, Kakashi slipped the book back into his pocket. "You've learned a few tricks I see." With a war cry comparable to middle school recess, all the clones rushed forward.

"Hah, now I'm sure to get a bell!" Naruto gloated from the sidelines. Each clone was hurling itself forward, often times being dispelled. He paused, experiencing memories he never had. Was he hallucinating?

"A Thousand Years of Death!"

No, but he was flying through the training ground with a pain in his ass like no other. Being a ninja sure was fun.

Sasuke, who had watched everything unfold, finally rushed forward in an attempt to catch their sensei off guard.

He swung a leg out in a sweeping strike, aiming to take out Kakashi's footing. Instead, Kakashi leapt forward into a handspring and flipped himself around. Sasuke followed midair with a fist aimed at his opponents gut. Kakashi caught it, as well as the follow up punch.

"Finally decided to show your face, huh? You sure didn't take long."

Sasuke smirked confidently. "I'll show you just how strong I am and steal those bells." He planted both feet on Kakashi's chest and pushed off, sending them both backwards. Quickly recovering, Sasuke began throwing several volleys of shuriken. Kakashi in turned evaded backwards.

But that was exactly what Sasuke had hoped for. While Sasuke was skilled, he wasn't daft enough to believe he could win in a taijutsu match. Instead, he relied on a ninja's favorite tool: deception. All that was left was to disguise his moves as a simple bullrush. And judging from the sounds of twigs breaking it must have worked.

Sasuke's plan was simple in concept, but difficult in execution. The first step was to lay a trap that would immobilize his sensei. For that, he chose a wire based trap that would ensnare the whole body. And for the last step, all he had to do was gently guide him towards it, and for that, Sasuke tried beating the shit out of him.

He rushed through the clearing with a confident grin. Pushing through the brush, he paused when all he saw was a log. What did he do wrong? How could Kakashi have possibly see through his plan?

"It was simple." came a muffled voice.

Sasuke couldn't react fast enough. A hand popped up from the ground and grabbed his ankles, pulling him down up to his neck. Kakashi walked around from behind and knelt down to the angry preteen.

"You are many things, but subtlety is not one of them." Kakashi spoke calmly, putting a thoughtful hand under his chin. "Perhaps moody? Angsty?"

Sakura's banshee of a wail reverberated through the forest. All around them, small birds took to the air. "It seems Sakura fell for my genjutsu." Kakashi mused, standing up and pulling out his book.

...

"Hey, come one Sakura, wake up!"

Naruto knelt over Sakura, fanning and poking her. He was busy formulating his plan when he heard her shriek. Abandoning his train of thought, he rushed over. Was it because he liked her?

Food for thought. First was getting those bells.

Thankfully, Sakura finally started to stir. "Sakura, hey, thank goodness you're awake. I have a plan to get those bells! First, I'll go in and-"

Sadly, old habits die hard. She pushed him aside and quickly got to her feet. "Sasuke! Sasuke, where are you!?" The pink wig with legs quickly disappeared into the forest. Cool, he could work with this, right?

Okay, plan B. It didn't take long to find Kakashi, especially with all the perverse giggling. He probably knew Naruto was there already, so to maintain the ruse, he had to act now.

Naruto started off with a volley of kunai and shuriken. He kept his aim purposely bad, not that it was anything good to begin with. He tried to gauge his opponents reaction, who in turn kept it simple. Kakashi didn't so much as look up from his book as he side stepped and ducked the occasional weapon thrown on target.

Naruto suppressed the grin on his face as he pulled out the booby trapped kunai. There's no way Kakashi would see this coming…

The kunai in question would not hit Kakashi, but fly close to his waist. Suddenly, it transformed back into a mass of orange. He was right there, reaching out and grasping at the two silver bells.

Kakashi's reaction was swift and decisive. In once practiced motion, the book was put away and swapped out with a kunai. With the ringed end, he slammed it against the blonde's head, popping the shadow clone before the bells came off.

Naruto hoped that would be enough, but came prepared for more. He launched forward with several other clones, each with their own kunai in hand. This time, Kakashi took the taijutsu match seriously. The moves were sloppy and easy to read, but fighting a dozen clones at once wasn't exactly a walk in the park. As soon as one clone popped, another would appear.

The real Naruto smirked from up in the trees. He doubted it would be easy, but felt confident in his ability.

Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Ma, Naruto, actually using strategy for once, eh?"

The blood drained from Naruto's face. The Kakashi he thought he'd been fighting had been a clone all along. "A-ah, well, I tried getting Sakura to tag along, but she just ran off into the forest." Kakashi gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Please don't hurt me?" Naruto asked sweetly, giving his opponent a sickeningly sweet smile.

Kakashi grabbed Naruto's wrist. "Now now, brown nosing will only get you so far, especially when you try dirty tricks like that."

"Please be gentle." Naruto whispered as tears began to form in his eyes.

Sakura, having found Sasuke buried up to his neck, cried out once more.

"Well well well," Kakashi started. "You all did well." He smiled through his mask in an all to obnoxious manner. "Except for you, Sakura. You failed to contribute in any meaningful way. As such, you will not be getting any lunch."

Sakura, who was tied up to a post, could only sink her head in shame.

Kakashi turned and started walking away. "You have two more hours. Remember, fight to kill." He turned his head and let his intent leak out in intimidation. "And no breaking the rules."

Sasuke ate in silence as Sakura's stomach growled and Naruto sat with his open lunch and pondered the current situation. It wouldn't be easy, but they certainly could still win. They'd have to fight as a team, covering for one another-

"Stay out of my way." Sasuke spoke with as much confidence and angst as the troubled teen could.

Naruto took that as a challenge. "And why not? What can the mighty Uchiha do that we together cannot?"

Sasuke snorted as he set his finished lunch aside. "You? Don't make me laugh."

Naruto knew there would be no salvaging the current situation as Sasuke began to meditate. He'd have to do it without the bastard. There were only two bells anyways, right?

He reached out and cut the rope holding Sakura down. "Here." Naruto said, "You need this more than I do. I already snuck some ramen in before."

Sakura hesitated before eating timidly. She wasn't about to complain, especially being this hungry…

"What did I say about breaking the rules?"

Kakashi stood directly in front of the three. One hand held his wrist, while the other held a mass of electricity. Sakura trembled and dropped her food as Naruto's and Sasuke's fight or flight senses went wild.

"Congratulations, you pass!" Everyone's jaw dropped to the floor. "Congratulations to Naruto for figuring out the test."

Naruto looked at him as if the last two brain cells in Kakashi's skull fizzled out. "Uh, what?"

"Those who break the rules are trash." Kakashi lectured. "But those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash. Remember this."

And so they celebrated in their own ways. Naruto bounced up and down triumphantly, cheering towards the sky. Sakura tried to cozy up to Sasuke, and Sasuke opted for little more than a smirk. He's an Uchica, he was destined to succeed here.

Kakashi tapped Naruto on his shoulder. "Say, Naruto, a word?"

"Huh, what's up Kakashi-sensei?"

The two of them walked off back into the forest. "As your sensei, it's my job to protect you. I know much about the three of you, including about your current situation with the Kyuubi."

Naruto suddenly felt naked before his teachers words.

"Your jackets torn." Naruto looked down. Indeed, his jumpsuit had torn significantly. "I noticed your seal while we were fighting, but something didn't quite seem right. Would you be so kind?"

Naruto sheepishly removed his jacket and pulled up his mesh undershirt. He took a deep breath and focused on the seal, feeling it out and making it visible.

Kakashi couldn't help but twitch and narrow his eyes. The seal on his stomach and the drawing given to him earlier didn't quite match up. Of course it wouldn't be this easy...

**...  
**

Naruto followed Kakashi with trepidation. He had only just me the man, his new sensei, but could tell Kakashi had recoiled in some visible fashion at the sight of his seal. At first he was worried Kakashi would hurt Naruto in some fashion, physical, verbal, or otherwise, but he stayed his hand and had yet to insult Naruto in any way.

He looked around hesitantly as they made their way through the village. The sun was setting, but the evening bustle had yet to die down. At this point, Naruto would normally sneak his way through back alley streets and over the rooftops, in favor of not being caught and beaten by any rowdy civilians.

"Ma, Naruto, you look like you're in foreign territory." Kakashi remarked without turning to look. He could tell without looking that Naruto was having difficulty with his emotions.

"A-ah, I'm normally training right now, or eating ramen at Ichiraku's." he said with a slight lilt in his voice.

"Do they hurt you?" Kakashi asked with no regard for any eavesdroppers.

Naruto gulped and opted for staring at his feet. He dared not speak, who knows what others would do.

"You're an official ninja now, that puts you under the Hokage's jurisdiction. It'd be a crime to attack someone that's a part of the village." Kakashi paused, putting a bit of thought to his words. "That's not to say they could before, but wearing that headband will give most people second thoughts."

Naruto hesitated a moment before thanking his sensei. He supposed Kakashi was right, he's never seen a ninja get pushed around by civilians.

Before he knew it, they were at the hokage tower. Rather than busting down the door or barging in through a window, they took the most boring route possible. Together, they walked up the stairs.

"Ah, Kakashi, what brings you and young Naruto to my office at such an hour?" Hiruzen smiled softly while leaning back in his seat and taking a drag from his pipe.

Kakashi looked down at Naruto with an unreadable expression. "Naruto, would you be so kind as to show the Hokage your seal?"

Naruto unzipped his jacket and lifted up his shirt. He focused chakra to his belly, feeling out the seal. He watched the pipe fall out of the old man's mouth.

Several seconds passed in stunned silence. "Clear my evening. Nobody comes in this room." Sarutobi reached down for his pipe, grabbing fresh tobacco and packing it into the pipe. "Kakashi, are you able to make heads or tails of the situation?"

Kakashi bowed his head slightly. "I'm afraid I know even less than you."

The Third Hokage had pen to paper as he carefully made out a letter. "Naruto, are you aware your seal changed? Did anyone tamper with it?"

"Uh, actually yes." Both Kakashi and Sarutobi froze and stared expectantly at Naruto. "It happened last night. Some weird ghost thingy came in my dreams. He talked a lot about things I didn't understand, like filters, buffers, poison, I don't really understand." Naruto paused, suddenly feeling anxious. "I don't remember much. He said something about things changing now and later. Is… is this bad?"

Naruto genuinely looked like he was about to cry. This struck a chord with the old man as his face softened. "I'm not sure what happened either Naruto, but you're here, and that means you're safe." Hiruzen ducked his head and resumed writing his letter. "I'm calling up an old friend of ours. He's a master at sealing, and knows the one placed on you the best out of anyone." He finished writing, and casually flashed through several seals before placing one hand on the letter. "But for now, I'd like to take a closer look at your gut just to be sure. Afterwards, we'll get some ramen, my treat."

Naruto couldn't help but let out a goofy, genuine smile for the first time that day.

AN: Thank you for taking the time to read the first chapter of my story! I'll be going over the original Naruto and Shippuden Story in this fic. This chapter was written in two major sessions, very far apart. It might not read or flow super well, so bear with me while I go through and make the last changes. I was a bit to excited to get this one out the door. Let me know what you think!

And stay Frosty~


	2. Chapter 2: Visitation Hours

**A/N:** In the future, I'll be leaving some notes at the beginning and at the end of each chapter, so look forward to that.

Thank you to everyone that's interacted so far, whether that's a follow/favorite, or a review! To the kind soul who offered constructive criticism, I definitely agree with you. I'll be proofreading each chapter before release, as well as hopefully having a beta reader at some point. If anyone is interested, do let me know. I have no idea how it works, but I'll figure it out. You guys will have better eyes and different opinions than me, and I certainly appreciate that.

Lastly, thank you for reading the first chapter. Hopefully I can throw down more words before the surge of inspiration goes down. So enjoy chapter 2: Visitation Hours

Disclaimer: I am not Kishimoto, nor own Naruto. I have written to see if I can get in his will though, so fingers crossed.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Visitation Hours**

Jiraiya sat in his rented room idly sipping some sake. It had been a productive day so far. He met with one of his spymasters, then proceeded to spend the day bar hopping and doing "research". What he didn't expect was to be handed a letter half way through his booze cruise. Sudden sobriety was never fun, almost as bad as being caught peeking on Tsunade.

_ Jiraiya,_

_It's been a while. Unfortunately there is a pressing matter that needs attending. The seal on our most infamous prison has been tampered with. While it doesn't appear to pose any immediate threat, none of our resident experts were able to parse the changes. _

_If what we are told is to be true, the more powerful half paid us a visit to "amend" it. Changes are to come, but nothing has been discovered._

_I understand your reservations about the situation, but we both know better than to ignore this. Please come visit as soon as you are able._

_ The Third._

The letter itself was very on the nose, wasn't it? Fortunately a well kept village secret like this meant they could be a bit more liberal and direct in their correspondence.

So that's how it was, eh? The Shinigami paid Naruto a visit, tampered with the seal, and now he has to go back and check up on it. Jiraiya understood, tampering with the seal containing the most powerful biju was like letting a genin out on an S-rank mission. There was little choice but to go and face the music.

But that also meant he had to see Naruto. Of all the things he's ever had to do, this was something he wouldn't look forward to. What would happen? How much of his father would he look like? How could he possibly face his godchild, after leaving him to the orphanage? He could only hope Naruto hadn't figured it out yet.

"Suppose I'll head on over this week." he sighed, finishing his sake and rising to go to bed. "Shame, I had so much research left to do."

* * *

Obviously a morning person, Naruto dragged himself out of bed for a shower. The water was cold, the milk was spoiled, but the cup ramen would always be hot and inviting. Before leaving, Kakashi had told them all to meet up at 9 in the morning at the village gate. He wouldn't say why, just to meet there. Naruto thought it was a bit odd, but didn't think he was in a place to question it either.

Nearing the gate, Naruto saw both Sasuke and Sakura already waiting for him. He quickened his pace while waving at them. "Sakura-chaaaaan!" Sakura, who was previously occupied trying to cozy up to Sasuke, slumped over. "Sasuke, Sakura-chan, do you know where Kakashi-sensei is?"

"Hmph, and why should I tell you, _Naruto_?" Sakura said full of venom.

Naruto uncharacteristically took offence to that. "Because we're a team, that's what Kakashi-sensei said." He looked around, scanning the crowd. "Besides, where even is he?"

And so they waited. It wasn't until lunch time that Kakashi showed up…

"You're all here so early, glad to see." Kakashi smiled behind his mask.

"Gah, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted, nearly jumpin out of his shoes. "You're late!" he pointed, accusing his teacher.

"Late? Oh sorry, my alarm clock must have been set to a different time." Kakashi admitted. Both Naruto and Sakura's jaw hit the floor. Was this guy seriously their teacher?

"Normally we'd be training, but I'd like to see you three in action first. How about a mission?

Everyone perked up after hearing that. "Wha- a mission?! Alright Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto bounced up and down. "What are we gonna do? Fight off a bandit camp? Defend some nobles? Oh, are we supposed to assassinate some cult leader?!"

"Ma, calm down Naruto, we still have to get our mission first." Kakashi chided. "Come, let's not be late." Naruto and Sakura resisted the growing urge to beat their sensei and settled for following him instead.

It didn't take them long before they were in front of some unassuming government building where a single Jonin stood guard. Inside sat the Third Hokage, with a chunin to either side.

"Ohoho! Naruto, is that you?" Came the familiar laugh of the village leader.

Naruto couldn't help but grin like a madman. "Old man?! What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean, I'm always here to assign the morning missions." Hiruzen leaned back in his chair. "In fact, I was just about to leave here before you came in. I take it your team is looking for a mission, Kakashi?"

Kakashi bowed slightly. "Yes. We'll be working on teamwork for the first few days before any real training."

Hiruzen nodded in acknowledgement. "Well as it just so happens, we got an urgent request that fits the bill."

Naruto struck a battle stance. "Oh yeah? What is it? Will we be fighting off a horde of evil ninja? Or defending a sacred shrine?"

"Tora, the cat of the esteemed Madam Shijimi, has escaped. He's somewhere out in the village, thank you can handle that?" Hiruzen asked while handing off the mission details to Kakashi, who bowed and accepted in turn.

Meanwhile, Naruto couldn't look any more defeated. "Really? A cat?"

Sakura shrugged. "It makes sense. We're kids Naruto, not battlefield veterans. All we're going to get is D-ranked missions."

"Young Sakura is correct, think you're up for it?" Naruto couldn't help but feel an impending sense of dread…

* * *

"OH MY TORAAAAAAA!"

"Four and a half hours, eh? Think you could beat the record of 28 minutes?" Spoke the jonin in place of Hiruzen.

Naruto could barely contain his rage. "That stupid cat clawed my entire face!" he pointed accusingly.

"Ma ma, Naruto, Don't say that about the Daimyo's cat." He bowed her way in acknowledgement. "That being said, do be careful not to let dear Tora out again."

"Oh I would neeever let dear Tora out of my sight again!" Team seven's only solace was to watch that poor bastard get snuggled to death as Shijimi walked away. Fitting,the only thing more dangerous than the cat, is the Daimyo's wife. Poor bastard is gonna get what it deserves.

Naruto looked up as Kakashi handed out a note to each of them. "What's this?"

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask. "It's your pay. Take it to your bank and they'll put it in your account." Naruto looked at his sensei as if he was speaking in tongues. "You… do know what a bank is, right?"

"Not really." Naruto admitted. He knew what a bank was, for the most part. People put things there, like money, for storage. But why didn't they just keep it in with them, or at home?

Kakashi sighed deeply. "Ah, I guess that's not surprising. I'm sure the Hokage can help you set one up. Alright team," he clapped his hands "Meet back here at 8 am sharp. If we're quick, we can do two missions a day."

Naruto squinted his eyes in confusion. Having nothing else to do, paying the old man a visit didn't sound like a bad idea. Maybe he could even score some ramen out of it!

As everyone was leaving, a masked ninja landed next to Kakashi, handing him a note.

"Hokage-sama as sent word. He'll be here in a week, the details are inside."

Kakashi looked down at the note in his hands while the anbu left. Calling out to the Toad Sage was expected, but Kakashi half expected him to dodge and deflect his duty. Well, Naruto is a walking village secret…

* * *

Naruto busted through the doors in the Hokage office, brandishing his paycheck.

"Old man, old man, look what I got?" Naruto held out the paper like a trophy with glee.

Hiruzen chuckled at his antics. "Well well, completed your first mission eh? How was it?"

Naruto proceeded to retell the events, ranting about the demonic cat. "I swear, if I have to catch that cat again, he's toast!"

"Now now, dear Tora escapes almost every day. You wouldn't want to be tortured with the Daimyo's family like that, would you?" Hiruzen offered.

"Nah, I guess you're right." Naruto put his hands behind his head. "Oh hey, Kakashi told me to take this to a bank, but said I should ask you for help. I don't really know what to do with this."

Hiruzen put his pen down and grabbed his coat. "I guess we're going to the bank then, Naruto-kun. And how about some ramen to celebrate?" His reaction was textbook.

Together, they left down the main road towards the commercial district. Naruto recognized many of the stores as places he would be kicked out of. He reached out and tugged on the Hokage's coat.

"What are we doing out here?" he asked hesitantly.

"Why, setting you up a bank account." It came as a shock when the old man lead them into a tall, well constructed building. Inside sat many chairs and desks, with people on either side. At the far end was a main counter, with a few attendants helping customers. The two of them got in line.

Naruto couldn't help but notice the spiteful glares he was attracting. "W-what are we doing here? Won't we be kicked out?"

Hiruzen's legendary patience went out the window. So that's how it was. Well, carrying the title of Third Hokage had quite a bit of weight to throw around…

An older man tapped on the shoulder of the attendant, whispering something and taking her place. "Greetings, Hokage-sama, what can we do for you?" he said through gritted teeth.

The two of them stepped up, one hiding behind the other. "Dear Naruto-kun completed his first mission today as a ninja of Konoha. As such, he'll need a bank account to deposit his pay."

The man smiled even sweeter. "Have you tried any other locations? I'm sure they'd be delighted to help."

Hiruzen was unfazed, and smiled back. "In that case, I will be closing my account."

The other man scrambled beneath the counter, quickly pulling out a form. "Have him fill out this! We'll get him an account, no problem!"

They took the paper and left to find a pen. While Naruto filled out what basic information he could, Sarutobi watched as the other man, presumably the boss of this establishment, grumbled and stared daggers into Naruto's back. Perhaps he could do with a little more reinforcement?

When Naruto was done, he handed off the sheet and his paycheck. "Here you are, sir." he spoke in an uncharacteristically reserved manner.

The Third Hokage patted Naruto on the back. "Perfect. We'll leave the money in your account, and whenever you need to leave or take any money out, come here."

He leaned forward, putting his face close to the boss. "I expect a full transaction log on my desk every Monday morning. I'm sure that won't be a problem. I'd simply like to watch young Naruto's savings grow. He'll be doing lots of missions, missions that I give him. Our paper trail is quite extensive, I'll have you know…"

The boss was shaking where he stood, sweating enough to supply enough water to every hot spring. "O-o-of course, Hokage-sama!" he said, bowing deeply behind the counter.

Ichiraku's tasted very sweet that night.

* * *

It had been a little over a week. Team seven, while not quite exhausted, were having a hell of a time painting fences, helping on the farm, and catching the elusive stray. It only took a few days before they were doing two D-rank missions a day, that is, in spite of Kakashi's tardiness.

Speaking of, his list of excuses were legendary. Couldn't find his way through the village? Got stuck helping an old lady? Lost on the road of life? If it was anyone else, they wouldn't get away with such childish excuses.

Some things just couldn't be helped. You know what they say, ramen fixes all.

Somewhere between his fifth or sixth bowl, a large hand grabbed on of his shoulders. He turned, wide eyed to see yet another old man with freakishly huge white hair, staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"Uh, listen, old man Hokage told me not to talk to strangers." he muttered, wet noodles flopping against his chin.

The old man couldn't help but chuckle. "Then how about I buy you a bowl, will that make things better?" Naruto tried to think hard about the situation, but as soon as the next bowl hit the table, he dove into it like a savage.

During this time, Naruto couldn't help but hear the whispers going around. Jiraiya? Legendary Toad Sage? Apparently this guy was some big shot.

Curiosity finally got the better of him. "So, who exactly are you?" Oh heavens this ramen was good. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the meal, but…" He paused unsure of what to say next.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Because of the fox?"

Teuchi quickly whipped around. "Quiet! The Third has a law in place that keeps us from-"

"It's alright,I already know anyways." Naruto said dejectedly, looking at the floor from his seat. It may have been there since his birth, but only just finding out recently stung something fierce.

"Well young Naruto, I'm here to help with that." Naruto shot up immediately. "Are you finished? Come, I still haven't said hello to the withered monkey of a kage yet."

Naruto hopped off his chair and followed the mystery man, asking all kinds of questions. Jiraiya, pointedly ignoring the rambunctious child, put a finger to his lips, and motioned for Teuchi to keep quiet. "Come Naruto, the Hokage's tower isn't too far from here."

Meanwhile, the Third Hokage was diligently at work sorting through paperwork. If there was one thing this village had, it's paperwork. Most men would crumble under such an insurmountable task, but not him. Somebody had to step up.

That being said, some of these proposals were utter trash. Expand on the ninja recruiting services? Not during a peaceful time like this, political repercussions would come pouring in. Creating a new holiday called "Flash Sales in the Land of Fire?" That's just another excuse to upcharge Konoha's citizens for extra coin. Force the Uchiha to breed to produce more offspring with the sharingan? Log, this guy was 12!

Then there were ones that were truly revolting. Eliminate the Nine Tails by publicly executing Naruto Uzumaki? Sarutobi couldn't keep back the foul taste in his mouth. That boy was supposed to be the village savior, yet they willingly provoke the ire of someone so young? It was a miracle he didn't have another Uchiha or Hyuuga sized stick up his ass.

Trash needn't bother with something so worthless. Fire, now that was a good way to burn the proposal. What about all the other useless ones? Sarutobi pondered the idea, not much would really be lost, and the paperwork would finally disappear…

"Hey old man, who the hell is this weirdo?!"

Hiruzen nearly fell back in his chair, caught completely off guard and thrust back into reality. No bright flames, no tower in ashes, paperwork...

"Ah, Naruto-kun, I see you've met my acquaintance, Jiraiya-san." Hiruzen recovered quickly.

"Brat threatened to eat my entire wallet before bringing him here, had to cut dinner time short." Jiraiya stated plainly. "So, Naruto, why don't you start by telling me what happened with the big chunky soul eater?"

Naruto scrunched up his face in thought. "Well, I think I was asleep when it happened. The crazy ghost guy came and kept telling me about how the seal wasn't good enough… or something. I tried asking it a bunch of questions, but I don't think it liked that. I fell back asleep right after that, or just stopped dreaming? I don't know."

To his credit, Jiraiya took everything in stride. "Lift up your shirt, I'd like to see the seal." He waited for Naruto to do so, and focus his chakra to make the seal visible. "What about afterwards? Do you remember anything it said? Did you feel any different?"

"Well, I remember something about a filter and a buffer, but it didn't really say anything else. Or maybe I don't remember?" Naruto paused. "Oh! It said something about my dad, I don't exactly remember what. I know it mentioned him, but I can't remember what. Are… are they related?" Naruto looked up at them, hoping they could shed some light on the situation.

The mood was somber. Neither of the two veterans meet Naruto's gaze. Sarutobi was busy thinking, and Jiraiya was busy studying the seal. Why was it that nobody said anything? Did they know? Was there something more they weren't saying?

Naruto wanted to cry. He hurt so, so much. The way they stared, the way they insulted and beat him, didn't they know it hurt? Was nobody going to help? Could they do anything other than look at him, and see the demon inside? He'd never meant to hurt anyone, why would they hurt him. It made him… It made him almost want to be angry…

"Naruto…" came a deep grumble from behind. The abyss slowly opened, revealing two massive eyes. Red eyes, that looked down on him like the prey he was…

Naruto jolted forward, almost collapsing onto the floor. He was gasping for breath, back in the Hokage's office. His eyes darted around, trying to find those eyes, those terrifying eyes.

Jiraiya eased up, letting the sealing justu release itself, reabsorbing the chakra. "It seems the Kyuubi just made first contact." Naruto stared at him, wide eyed. "If my initial understanding is correct, it'll be easier for Naruto to find the Kyuubi in his mindscape."

"What does it all mean?" Sarutobi asked, walking around his desk to comfort the terrified child.

"Even you know not to ask such vague questions, sensei." the sage commented. "This is all just conjecture at this point, but I believe the physical bond between those two will only grow."

"Like a parasite, or a symbiote?"

"It's tough to say. The… last case was special, as you know. Naruto doesn't have that strong background. Things may manifest, but we cant be sure of what." Jiraiya paused, putting a hand to his chin. "At least until I can understand what is going on here."

Sarutobi looked down at the poor boy clutching to his robes. Naruto's entire body shook as he cried against the only person he could dare call family. "How long do you need?"

"Since I only need to read it? A week, roughly."

The two of them stood in silence, letting Naruto have some time while pondering their options. Jiraiya would have to stay in town. Not only because something this sensitive should only be mentioned in private, but for Naruto. Will the Kyuubi manifest itself again? Odds are low, but there are no taking chances when a biju is at stake.

"The kid is on a team?" Jiraiya asked.

The Hokage nodded. "Yes, with the surviving Uchiha and a young kunoichi called Sakura Haruno. Kakashi is their sensei."

"The copycat ninja? I suppose it makes sense. I'm sure he's got a handful teaching the Uchiha alone."

Hiruzen frowned. "I'm not exactly sure. They've been doing missions to build a sense of teamwork."

Jiraiya thought for a moment. "Would he be opposed if I borrowed Naruto for a week?"

Sarutobi chuckled. "Honestly, I doubt he would mind."

Naruto had calmed down by this point, but barely had the energy to stand. "Suppose I'll bring him home for the night. Let's go, Naruto."

* * *

"That place is a dump." Jiraiya commented.

Naruto frowned. "Well excuse me, it's not like I had many options. I was happy just to be off the streets."

Jiraiya had the dignity to feel guilty. "I suppose that's fair. Anyways, we're here now."

Naruto looked around, taking in his surroundings. They stood in a moderately sized clearing atop a gently rolling hill, with a forest in any direction. It was only about 10 minutes outside of the village, but looked remote enough to hide itself from almost any outsiders.

Jiraiya sat down in the grass. "If you didn't know yet, I am Jiraiya, the great Toad Sage of Mt. Myoboku!" he said, slamming a fist to his chest. "I was fortunate enough to have the wrinkled monkey as my sensei. I'm the resident expert on sealing jutsu, and as such, have come to study the seal that contains the Kyuubi."

Naruto pulled his knees to his chest, feeling uncomfortable.

"These are the unlisted training grounds. This is where most jonin train, as well as any high level sparring takes place. While I study your seal, you'll be training. So tell me, what jutsu do you know?"

Naruto relaxed, looking up at the sky. "Well, the only jutsu I really know is the shadow clone jutsu and transformation jutsu."

Jiraiya looked unimpressed. "What about your experience with tools, do you have a favored weapon?"

"Not really," Naruto admitted. "Just regular kunai and shuriken."

Jiraiya nodded. "Any your taijutsu?"

"Just the basic academy style."

The Toad Sage sighed dejectedly. "The taijutsu they teach at the academy is terrible. That'll be the first thing we'll work on, alongside your endurance."

Naruto nodded, watching as Jiraiya stood up.

"As a jinchuriki, your chakra reserves are going to be naturally massive. I can already tell that you have many times more chakra than I ever will. Can you tell me what that means?"

Naruto knew there was more to it than the immediate truth, but he didn't know what.

"It means your control is undoubtedly the worst. Any jutsu you use will sacrifice control for more chakra, meaning your jutsu, while it works, is incredibly inefficient."

Naruto nodded, soaking up all the information like a sponge.

Jiraiya looked around, taking in his surroundings. "How about this. Naruto, I want you to make as many shadow clones as you can."

Naruto jumped to his feet and made the tiger seal. "Alright! Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The training field was swamped in a sea of orange. Jiraiya took a moment to calm himself. He knew there would be a lot, but this was absurd. Just how many clones were there?

Nodding in approval, Jiraiya spoke, "That's somewhere over 400 clones. Holy Log, that's a lot." He paused, taking one last look around. "Right, I want all of you to go into the forest and practice chakra control. Take a single leaf, or blade of grass," he paused to grab one himself. "And place it in your hand. I want you to balance it upright, with nothing but chakra." Jiraiya demonstrated, letting the blade of grass sit perfectly upright in his palm.

Hundreds of copies of Naruto shouted their approval before rushing off into the forest. That left only the original and the sage.

"Soooo, what exactly is that supposed to do?" Naruto asked questioningly.

Jiraiya sighed. "I'll give you a pass, but only because you just learned the forbidden technique. Now listen up! When a clone dispels itself, its memories are transferred across all other clones, including yourself. This makes it great for infiltration and espionage, especially because shadow clones are nearly indistinguishable from the rest. For example, a water or mud clone might look the same, but is incapable of speech or independent thought. It's worth mentioning a shadow clone, or any clone for that matter, will never be as powerful as the original. A clone is no substitute for a real ninja, and will at best serve as a distraction."

"So wait." Naruto paused, thinking it through. "If I receive their memories, couldn't I just do something like read every book in the library?"

"Almost." Jiraiya gave a knowing. "The more information that comes to you at once, the more of it you'll forget. You'll get a terrible headache the more information at once you try to digest. Things like chakra control are different. It's sort of like muscle memory, You'll get better at anything you practice. Remember, this only counts for mental tasks, not physical ones."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Okay, I think I understand that!"

"Every couple of hours, I want you to dispel half the clones and replace them. This will help both mitigate the side effects as well as improve efficiency in your training." Jiraiya sat back down, opening up a scroll. "Now, 100 laps around the field, then 100 sit ups and 100 push ups. If you're ever not sweating, you're not trying hard enough!"

"Right!" Naruto cheered, running off along the edge of the forest.

Jiraiya smirked. Shadow clones made training so much easier. Naruto would become a powerhouse in no time. Or at least he would, if his foundations weren't shit. Oh well, everyone starts somewhere.

At some point, Jiraiya had transcribed the seal on Naruto's gut onto a scroll. Next to it was the unmodified version. They were largely the same, save for the six prongs on the outside cutting directly through the middle. Now, it looked like a swirl, surrounded with kanji, with six lines of kanji meeting directly in the center. Shape certainly had an influence, but he'd have to understand almost every kanji to make sense of the seal as a whole.

But there was one thing that worried him. The whisker like scars on his face were significantly more prominent, and his eyes…

They were slit, just like the Kyuubi.

* * *

"Alright Naruto, that's enough endurance training for the day."

Naruto collapsed onto the ground, trying desperately to catch his breath. He had been working on his endurance all morning and all day. As soon as he tried to take a break, Jiraiya has resorted to throwing all manner of object. Kunai, shuriken, rocks, clumps of dirt, tree branches, and even a clone that one time.

Jiraiya stood over Naruto, having grown weary from staring at the scroll for many hours. "I'm going to iron out that ridiculous taijutsu. You're going to be learning Frog-Fu."

"Uuuuugh, Frog-Fu? What, am I going to be jumping around everywhere?" Naruto groaned.

"Careful, I taught the Fourth Hokage Frog-Fu. He's one of the few people out there to beat me in a fight, using my own style no less."

Naruto held his tongue and set up. "Fine fine, what's so bad about the academy style anyways? Why do they even teach it?"

"You know, that's the first intelligent thing you've said all day!" He laughed, sidestepping to avoid a wicked haymaker to the gut. "It's one of the easiest to teach, and favors no real style heavily. Because of that, any real fighting style would be able to pick it apart. Its strength is easability, but that's not something you want in a fight."

Jiraiya took a stance. "Follow my lead, I'll teach you the katas for Frog-Fu."

It didn't take more than half an hour to teach the basic katas.

Jiraiya nodded in satisfaction. "That'll do for now. Let's go get something to eat and call it a night."

Naruto stretched, massaging the soreness out of his muscles. "I could eat an entire village's supply of ramen right now!"

"Another time, you need something healthier." the Toad Sage chided while walking back towards the village. "You need to eat something healthy."

Naruto groaned, slumping over and following meekly behind. Of course, the most holiest of foods in all existence, and it would stay out of reach. There was always the cup ramen at home, but it was never quite the same as fresh Ichiraku, filled with toppings and fishcakes.

He stared at his feet feeling anxious. "Jiraiya… sensei… you said something about- about the Kyuubi. It's going to change me?"

Jiraiya ruffled the poor boys hair. "If you mean massive chakra reserves, then sure!" He paused for a moment, waiting for the good feeling to pass. "Small things will, cosmetic things, mostly."

"W-what do you mean?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya knelt down and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, staring him in the face. "It's nothing to worry about. Deep inside, you will always be Naruto. A storage scroll filled with a hundred kunai, is still just a scroll. It doesn't matter what is sealed away, the scroll will never change."

Naruto's eyes began to water. It wasn't often he truly felt accepted, like he belonged.

The Toad Sage stood back up. "You can change your appearance, and you can change the way you act, but despite it all, only you can decide what defines you. So tell me, who are you?"

"Who am I?" Naruto grew a devious grin, full of exuberance. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm gonna be the next Hokage! Believe it!"

Jiraiya never thought he would be cut out to be a parent, but felt proud to be a positive influence on the boy. "You know what? Fuck it, we're getting ramen. You've done well today."

Naruto's cheer could be heard all the way to Ichiraku's.

* * *

"Always happy to see my number one investor- customer!" Teuchi said, rubbing the ladle shaped hole out of his skull.

"It's always nice to have you here, Naruto." Ayame said with more sincerity.

"Please, I wouldn't give up ramen for the world!" Naruto cheered through a mouth full of noodles.

Jiraiya smirked, in between bites. "How about ramen and Hokage?"

Naruto froze mid bite, terrified of having to make such a choice. What cruel, sick bastard would bring about a world without ramen? Couldn't he just make ramen stalls a mandatory law? Would it ever be the same?

"So what happened to your eyes?" Teuchi asked with folded arms and an unreadable expression.

Naruto was snapped from his thoughts. "What do you mean?"

Ayame leaned in forward for a better look. "They're like an animal, like a…" she stopped, knowing she couldn't continue.

"Like, a fox?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

The stall was quiet, save for the bubbling noodles and broth. Nobody dared continue.

"I… found out a few days ago." Naruto said, a mixed ball of emotions. He waited before continuing. "That I have the demon fox inside, the Kyuubi."

"But you know what?" Naruto said, steeling his resolve. "Jiraiya-sensei taught me something important today. That no matter what I look like, no matter what stupid creature hides in my stomach, that I'll always be me. I'm the only one that gets to decide who I really am." He suddenly slammed his fist on the counter. "And I'm going to be the Hokage! Nothing can stop me!"

"I think those whiskers make you look cute!" Ayame said, reaching over to pinch Naruto's cheeks, completely killing the mood.

Teuchi couldn't help but smile. All he ever wanted for Naruto was to be happy, that kid deserved as much. He turned back around to prepare another bowl. "Thank you, Jiraiya-sama. It's about time that boy found some friends."

The Toad Sage smirked. "He's on his way, no doubt."

* * *

**A/N:** And that is chapter two. Let me know what you think with a review! I wholeheartedly appreciate each and every one of them. Next chapter might not come out as quickly, but I do plan to get at least one small sized chapter like this out every few weeks. I have the time, so maybe I could build up a backlog? We'll see what happens

Thank you for reading, and stay frosty!


	3. Chapter 3: Self Discovery

**A/N:** Not much to say here. I wanted this chapter to be longer, but the pacing felt too slow for my taste. Let me know your thoughts!

Disclaimer: Perhaps, on a lucky reincarnation, I might own Naruto. This is not that life.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Rasengan**

Hinata was starting to grow nervous. She hadn't seen Naruto in 12 days and 22 hours. It was starting to bother her, having grown accustomed to seeing her inspiration daily at the ninja academy. She tried looking for his team, hoping to catch him training or out on the town. Things were beginning to look bleak when she could only find his teammates and sensei…

"Kakashi-sensei, is that deadbeat ever coming back?" Sakura asked as they walked towards the mission distribution building.

"Naruto is spending time with a mutual acquaintance. It's important, but I'm told he'll be back in a few days." Kakashi spoke in a tone that gave no leanings either way. Stay or leave, it didn't really bother the ex-anbu shinobi.

"Jiraiya." Sasuke spoke plainly.

"Jiraiya?" Sakura asked. "Who the hell is that?"

"Why, Jiraiya-sensei happens to be in town this week for unrelated matters." Kakashi offered.

"Wait, sensei? He was your sensei?" Sakura was getting more confused by the minute.

"What could one of the Sanin possibly want with him?" Sasuke spoke once more.

Sakura tripped and nearly fell over. "Wait, _SANIN_!? What the hell does one of the legendary Sanin want with the dead last!?"

Sasuke put a hand to his chin, scowling. "Unrelated matters…" he muttered, knowing there had to be something more.

Meanwhile, Hinata was positively giddy with excitement. Finally, she had a lead on Naruto! But, who was Jiraiya? She vaguely remembered something about him being a Sage, whatever that meant. He was obviously important, but for the life of her, Hinata couldn't remember why.

Unfortunately, that meant waiting until the afternoon training with Kurenai to ask any more questions. It was only a few hours from now. Perhaps she's head to the training grounds now and wait? Maybe she'd come early…

Kurenai didn't come early. Shino was the first one there.

"Afternoon, Hinata." He said, walking up to her.

"Ah, g-good afternoon, Shino-kun." She said, snapping to attention. "Um, Kurenai-sensei isn't here yet."

Shino looked off towards the village. "I see." He stood around for a moment in silence, thinking about log knows what.

"How is it that Naruto passed?" he asked, immediately grabbing Hinata's attention.

"U-um, I'm not sure. I-I think Iruka-sensei might know." she offered. There was no way Hinata could go ask him though, he'd see right through her.

Shino adjusted his glasses and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Have you heard the rumors?"

"Ah, which one?" she asked, already knowing what came next.

"I've heard whispers about him being stuck with Jiraiya-sama. I… happened to ask my father about that."

Hinata's heart yearned for more. "W-what did he say?"

Shino turned to look the Hyuuga in the eyes. "He told me to drop it, that it'd be best to let the Sanin to his job and leave the boy alone. His words, not mine."

Hinata felt her emotions beginning to sink once more. "I don't know why. He tries so hard…"

"I did some research." Shino went on, making sure his bugs didn't detect anybody nearby. "Other than being a Sage, He's very accomplished in fuinjutsu. It's rumored other than the fourth, he's the best in the village."

Hinata followed along, trying to connect the dots Shino apparently already had.

"Sage, fuinjutsu, the way everybody avoids Naruto… Something doesn't add up. I can only really think of one thing, that he's-"

"Afternoon Shino, Hinata, Kiba not here yet?"

Shino looked over as Kurenai approached, taken slightly off guard by her ability to slip in undetected. Hinata meanwhile was cursing the timing, she was so close to learning more about her crush!

She'd have to ask Shino about it later. If the adults wouldn't share or couldn't be trusted, then perhaps she'd have to look at things like a ninja…

* * *

Jiraiya sat down across Naruto, scroll out between them. Jiraiya had finally finished his job analyzing the seal, glad to be rid of the mental strain. It was like reading something in a foreign language, one that never quite translated well enough to make sense.

Naruto on the other hand was quite nervous. He never really liked talking about the demon inside him, what with the villagers seeking to "cleanse the earth with his blood" and all. But his sensei seemed calm enough, so he'd endure it nonetheless.

"This is your seal now," Jiraiya said, pointing to the modified version. "And this is the old one. While similar, they have a few key differences and seperate functions. Most notably, will be your ability to heal both in and outside of battle. I'm sure you're already aware your stamina makes you a freak of nature, right?"

Naruto had the decency to look sheepish. "Ah, yeah, I suppose you're right."

"Well now its gotten even stronger. Most jinchuriki share traits with their biju inside them, jinchuriki being the term for someone that holds a tailed beast inside. Yours grants you a superhuman healing factor. So long as you stay in one piece, you can heal from almost any wound. I'd estimate a broken bone wouldn't take more than a week or two to heal, assuming it was a clean break."

Naruto sat forward. "Whoa, really? That's awesome!"

"Your senses have also sharpened. If you channel chakra to your eyes or nose, your ability to use them will increase. By how much, I'm not sure. I'd place you somewhere close to an Inuzuka at this point."

Jiraiya paused, letting the boy bask in his own glory. "However, the runt fox is also going to have some influence on your growth. Maybe you'll grow a tail, maybe you'll finally be tall, who's to say? I don't know, and only time will tell."

Naruto gave Jiraiya a dirty look for the underhanded jab at his height.

"The biggest concern of mine, is your link with the beast. Before, it was trapped in its own prison, only able to manifest itself in stressful situations. Now, you need only will it, and the demon will be at your beck and call." Jiraiya never looked so serious. "That demon has both the power to destroy mountains with a flick of its tail and the malice of every human combined. You can draw on its power, but every ounce of chakra you pull means the fox will have a greater hold on your psyche."

Naruto couldn't help but shiver. Was such a thing really possible? Could he use such a ridiculous power? Would doing it ever be the wise decision, if it could influence his decisions?

"Unless your life is truly on the line, I don't want you ever using that power. In fact, I want you to meditate daily to get used to the idea of having such a creature inside. It should give you a better hold on your emotions, keeping you from being influenced in a worst case scenario."

The blond nodded. "So, I just need to meditate often and I'll be fine?"

Jiraiya shook his head sadly. "The fox is infinitely more powerful than you right now, no amount of meditation would ever keep him at bay. The only thing it should do is reduce your fears, giving the fox less to grasp at." He sighed, pausing to weigh the odds. "I… wasn't planning on telling you this, but you deserve to know."

Naruto leaned forward again, intent to catch every word out of him. "The seal is meant to keep things from getting out, but there's a facet to let chakra in. There is a jutsu that acts as a sort of key, enabling you to lessen the restraints on the seal, giving you a better access to the biju's power. That also means the demon will have an easier time communicating with you though, so I don't plan on teaching you the technique. Perhaps when you're a chunin, _maybe_."

"A-alright. I don't know if I'd feel comfortable knowing the technique anyways."

The Toad Sage gave a soft smile. Naruto was surprisingly mature when he wanted to be. Too bad that's something he rarely sees.

"Before we're done, there's one last thing you need to know." Jiraiya started to roll up the scroll. "There's one last thing worth mentioning. If what I can understand is correct, the fox is incomplete. That is, it's not at max capacity, or something to that effect. It's steadily drawing in nature chakra to rectify that, but it's like using a sink to fill a lake. I wouldn't worry about it for now."

He finished sealing the scroll and stood up. "Now, how 'bout a spar? I've been meaning to pay you back for all the food you keep eating."

* * *

"Well Naruto, I'm glad we could get the pecking order established." Jiraiya beamed with pride.

The battered and bruised student followed behind in a daze. It wasn't a spar, it was a savage one sided beating. It wasn't without reason, and he certainly learned plenty, but geez, the old man could pack a punch!

"One miso ramen." Jiraiya said, taking a seat.

"Two pork, with extra fish cakes!" Naruto shouted, hopping into a seat.

"Ah, welcome back Naruto-kun, Jiraiya-sama." Teuchi called out from the stove, pouring broth into bowls. "How was your training?"

"I'm up to 800 clones now! That's almost double what I could do before!"

"Excellent! It sounds like your training is really paying off." He turned setting down their orders. "I hope you're nice and hungry!"

Jiraiya ate his bowl in peace while Naruto devoured it like he hadn't eaten in years. Seeing as he'd be at this for a while, the Toad Sage figured now would be as good a time as any.

"Well Naruto, I'll be leaving tonight."

"Hmph?" Naruto struggled with a mouth full of ramen.

"I've done my job, so you'll be returning to your team tomorrow. I've already informed the third, so don't worry about it." He gave the boy a hard pat on the back. "You've really impressed me. You're a hard worker, and it shows. You're sensei is Kakashi, right? Is he still..."

"Late?" Naruto deadpanned.

"Figures. Anbu was too good for him. Do yourself a favor. Before he shows up to train, summon half your clones and have them continue with chakra exercises. Add more leaves, and put them on weird places, like your elbows and forehead. It doesn't do you tremendous good to have control only in your hands. It'll be more effective that way."

Naruto nodded in agreement, stacking the empty bowl and grabbing the next.

"Your taijutsu will need work, but your ability to improvise is already above someone your age. Do yourself a favor and pick up a book in the ninja library on Frog-Fu. Better yet, get one on basic chakra theory as well. Your knowledge is stunted, and that's being generous."

Naruto shot him a dirty look. "Anything else to add? Should I attend the academy, or spend my nights hunting down lost cats?"

"Actually, yes." The Sage dug around in his pouch, pulling out a piece of paper. "You've got the makings to be a ninjutsu specialist, so we might as well find out that you're a fire element. Here, channel a bit of chakra through this." Jiraiya reached out, handing Naruto a small slip of paper. "It's the litmus test. Most people in the land of fire are attuned to using fire. Furball likes his fire, bit it behooves us not to check first." He already knew the result, of course Naruto would use fire. The land of fire, the nine tails, it'd take a miracle to be anything else.

Naruto winced a small amount at the casual mention of the fox, but he was surrounded by friends that saw him for him. What the hell, let's burn some paper.

Channelling a small amount of chakra through the paper, he watched as it tore itself to shreds between his fingers. No fire, no heat, just torn fragments of paper.

Jiraiya picked up his shattered jaw off the floor. "A wind element? Log Almighty, a wind element?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong with that?"

"Even the Land of Wind struggles immensely to produce wind users. It is by far the rarest of the five elements. You really are full of surprises, aren't you?"

The blond smiled broadly. "Hehe, you got me. So what now?"

"Exercise your body, practice your control, read a book, and learn a few jutsu. Nothing too crazy, no A-ranks or higher. At least one D-rank, too."

Naruto nodded, absorbing everything while drinking the precious ramen broth.

"You're a tough kid, I'll give you that. Keep doing what you're doing." Jiraiya set down several notes on the table. "Let's go, you still need to meditate."

The two left the ramen stand feeling full, and in Naruto's case, exhausted. One bowl versus eight, Log damn that boy could eat. But he burned every calorie, so there was never any concern. Eat like an Akimichi, work like Gai.

It was late. The sun had set, revealing a waning moon ascending through the night sky. The stars shone like glitter, twinkling its light upon the village. A gentle breeze blew through the streets, keeping things calm and cool.

Naruto heard it before he saw it. Drunks, ones that apparently just got cut off. Shit, it's a Friday night, isn't it?

Sure enough, a group of five off duty ninjas stumbled their way down the road. Jiraiya paid them no mind, but Naruto was already beginning to panic. He recognized at least two of them from previous encounters…

"Hey, what's the demon brat doing out now?" the lead idiot called out.

Naruto ducked his head and tried walking with Jiraiya between them. Too bad for him, they didn't seem to recognize the sage.

"What's this, little shit found himself an old geezer now?"

They were slowly surrounding the two. Jiraiya cocked an eyebrow, acutely aware of the situation. Everyone else was turning a blind eye. He sighed, knowing where this was headed.

"Naruto is a ninja now, harassing him will do you no good."

"Whaaaat, brat thinks he can pull the wool over our eyes?" the man, a jonin, reached out to push Jiraiya aside. "Out of the way, I'll teach the demon a lesson."

Naruto was practically cowering behind his sensei. There were five of them, escaping was out of the question, it would only incite more violence.

"Stand down, now." Jiraiya said with authority, standing completely still.

The drunk jonin stumbled back a few steps. "Demon's got you under his thumb, eh? I've got no issues hitting old shits like you." He flared his chakra. "Fine! Earth style: boulder crushing assault!" he charged, his entire right arm encased in layers of stone.

Jiraiya was unfazed. A-rank ninjutsu, huh? What a shame…

It happened in a flash. In less than a second, Jiraiya formed a ball of pure chakra in his hand and slammed it straight into the attackers jutsu. The ball exploded violently, blasting away all the rock and mangling the arm of the jonin. He would recover, but not without therapy and extensive surgery.

Everything was silent once the jonin hit the ground. Every soul in the area stood frozen in shock. Not only did someone just try to unleash a jutsu on another ninja of Konoha, they were shut down instantly.

A lone ninja in black gear dropped down in front of Jiraiya. It's white mask was painted with vague features resembling a bear. The ninja, whose figure resembled a female, knelt down and their hand against the fallen ninja's neck, inspecting for a pulse.

"... He'll need immediate medical attention, but should be fine."

Jiraiya folded his arms. "Awfully convenient of you to show up now after the danger has passed."

"I only came once I felt the spike in chakra." She hauled the injured jonin over her shoulders. "He'll be tried as a ninja, where the Hokage has final say in punishment." The anbu bowed, despite the ninja on her back. "I bid you farewell, Jiraiya-sama."

Jiraiya scratched the back of his neck as he watched the anbu leap through the city. "Out of our hands now, I guess. Well Naruto, let's get you back-"

The Toad Sage recoiled in shock. Naruto was positively star struck after watching the display of power. "What was that?! Can you teach me that jutsu?!"

"Ah, well, its an A-rank ninjutsu. You'll need to wait years before you could learn it. It's best you forget you saw anything."

Naruto took an aggressive stance. "C'mon, you have to teach me! You have to!"

"No Naruto, I don't. I don't, and I won't." Jiraiya folded his arms in disappointment.

The blond stared back defiantly, mustering all the anger and authority a little boy could gather. "Oh really?"

"Yes really."

"Fine, then take my ultimate technique!" Naruto make the tiger seal. "Harem Jutsu!"

In a cloud of smoke, several blonde bombshells latched onto the sage. Each one called his name with erotic voices. The clones mobed Jiraiya, pressing their naked bodies against the… massive pervert. Of course he was a pervert.

The transformation and clones disappeared when Naruto punched Jiraiya in the gut, toppling him over in a coughing fit. "Never… do that… again!"

"Ha! Now you _have _to teach me that jutsu!"

Jiraiya took a moment to catch his breath before standing up. He dug into his pouch for a scrap of paper and a pencil. "Fine, but it'll take you years to learn it, if at all." Naruto waited as Jiraiya finished writing. "There are three steps. Once you manage to complete a step, then you can move on, but not until then."

He passed the paper to Naruto who held it with reverence. Such a powerful jutsu! Naruto would do everything in his power to learn and master the technique.

"If you ever do learn that technique, try not to use it unless your life depends on it. You don't want enemy ninja knowing you could use a move like that. Remember, a good ninja needs no jutsu."

Naruto nodded. "A-alright, Jiraiya-sensei. Thanks again!"

"I gotta head out. I hope to see you again, kid. Take care." He ruffled Naruto's hair and turned around to leave. "Oh, and give Kakashi a hard time, will ya?"

* * *

"You didn't tell him, did you?"

"How could I? Political reasons alone are enough of a reason."

The Third Hokage took a drag from his pipe, going over the list once more. "To think, his chakra was there this whole time…"

"But only as a failsafe." Jiraiya added. Really, was such a thing possible? Sealing part of your soul alongside a biju? Evidently so.

Hiruzen stared at the last item on the list. "Nature chakra… What for?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Neither Naruto nor the seal conscience of the fourth are able to touch it. It's like a one way mirror. Nature chakra goes in, but the fox can't push anything back out. It's constantly absorbing, too."

The Third Hokage scowled. "I don't like the sound of this. Something tells me there's more to what happened that night, much more than we know."

"No use asking the dead." Jiraiya shrugged. "That fox is only going to grow. It seems to be missing something."

The two sat in silence for several minutes. Despite being late, neither veteran would be getting much sleep. When it came to Naruto, there were too many secrets and village changing events.

"Or at least, that's my current theory." Jiraiya concluded, relenting the fact that he didn't know for certain.

"And what of this new development, Akatsuki?"

"Nothing more than a name." He shook his head. "No members, no ambition, nothing. I want to believe it doesn't exist."

Hiruzen sighed. "If only it were that easy…"

Jiraiya nodded. He had a bad feeling about this rumor. Perhaps it was nothing, perhaps they didn't exist.

Both veterans knew better than to believe that.

* * *

Naruto had rushed through his morning routine and went off to the training grounds, spawning several hundred clones and performing the standard katas for Frog-Fu. Afterwards, it was about time his teammates would be meeting up for missions, and figured he could wait outside for them. He didn't know how long it would take them, and settled for meditating on the roof to pass the time…

"Thinking about joining us today, Naruto?"

Said boy jumped, startled by the sudden arrival of his team leader. "A-ah, Kakashi-sensei! Yeah, Jiraiya left, so I guess I'm back here with you guys."

"I see he taught you how to sit still." Kakashi's smug grin was asking to be punched.

Naruto put a thoughtful hand to his chin. "Say, Kakashi-sensei, you know how I beat Jiraiya?"

Now this made the cyclops legitimately curious. "Oh? Do tell."

"It was easy, actually." he threw his arms up to feign regret. "I beat Iruka-sensei, Ebisu, and Gramps with the same technique. Perhaps Konohamaru and I need to give you a little refresher?"

Kakashi was visibly sweating. "Now now, Naruto-kun, let's not be rash. Come, your teammates are waiting."

Naruto looked down to see his teammates were indeed waiting. Sakura was looking down the road absently, while Sasuke stared directly at them with apathy only an Uchiha could master.

"Alright team," Kakashi started while Naruto landed next to him. "We'll run a morning mission as usual. I'm leaving on a mission myself this evening, and will need some time to prepare, so the afternoon is yours."

"Sasuke, Sakura-chan, good to see you guys again." Sakura gave no reaction, pretending she didn't hear anything. Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement. Together, team seven went inside.

* * *

Hinata was at the training grounds early, as per usual. Really, anything to get her out of the clan compound was a blessing. It was always more peaceful outside, near the forest, than in her own home. Regardless, she did what she would have anyways, and spent the time in light meditation and practicing her family katas.

This time, Shino and Kiba arrived at the same time.

"Oi, Hinata!"

Hinata perked up. "Ah, Shino-kun, Kiba-kun. Good morning."

Kiba smiled, putting his hands behind his head. "So, what sort of training is Kurenai-sensei going to put us through today?"

"I-I'm not sure. She never said."

"Last one again? Geez, and I thought team Gai was devoted."

Hinata, whose cousin Neji was on team Gai, knew about the extremes he had to go through on that team. "S-sorry! W-we just a-arrived here only a-a minute ago…"

Kurenai laughed. "Don't worry about it. Besides, it's my fault for getting caught up with Anko again." She put one hand on her hip. "Tired of training yet?"

"I wouldn't say that." Shino said matter of factly.

Kurenai waved her hand flippantly. "You're all clan heirs, I'm sure you get enough practice in at home. How about we do something you couldn't otherwise do normally, like say, a mission?"

Kiba jumped at this. "Finally, a mission!"

* * *

Team eight arrived outside at the mission distribution center to see both Sakura and Sasuke waiting. Kiba, being a total alpha, just had to goad Sasuke to try and impress the girl. He now sported a large bruise on his head.

While Kurenai exchanged pleasantries with the Hokage, Shino leaned towards his female teammate.

"Did you see Naruto atop the building?" he asked quietly.

Hinata jumped to attention. "R-r-really?" her face was already three shades in the red.

"Mm. He was sitting at the top, meditating. Very uncharacteristic."

If Shino had said anything, Hinata didn't hear it. She was busy with her dojutsu, staring at Naruto's back without him knowing. He was sitting still. Not a single one of his muscles twitched, save for the slow rhythmic breathing. His back and shoulders would rise and fall, at peace with the rest of himself. His chakra flowed like rivers through his body, yet smooth like glass. It was like staring into an ocean, a vibrant deep blue with wisps of red. Wait, that can't be right-

"Hinata? Is something the matter?"

Hinata reflexively deactivated her dojutsu. "Ah! N-nothings w-wrong!"

"If you say so." the Third Hokage relented. "Regardless, this family needs some help, I trust you four can take care of them?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kurenai bowed respectfully. The rest of her team followed suit.

"Hey old man, long time no see!" Hinata's body stiffened. "Oh hey Shino, dog breath, what's goin' on?"

Kiba turned around and scoffed. "What's it to ya, fox boy?"

Naruto couldn't help but flinch slightly. Instead, he took notice of the dark haired girl near the front. "Eh? Hinata, is that you? How'd you get lumped into a team with mutt boy over here?"

It was mostly about the way he said it, so casual, Kiba was going to beat the shit out of him. Or at least he would, if Kurenai didn't have her in a chokehold.

"W-we're a-about to go o-on our first m-mission, N-Naruto-kun." Hinata said, doing her best to stay conscious.

"Well, good luck!" Naruto called out as team eight made their way out of the building. He put a hand on Hinata's shoulder as she passed, giving her a smile. "Good luck!"

Kurenai had to carry poor Hinata outside while Naruto pleaded his innocence with his teammates. He earned several bruises that day…

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter took a while to write. Half of it felt like it wasn't going anywhere, I hope that didn't translate itself into the story. Next chapter will finally have some action, so be prepared for that. Lastly, if anyone is interested in being a beta for this story, let me know. I always strive to put forth my best work.

I hope you all enjoyed! If you have any feedback, please be sure to review. As always, stay frosty!


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